The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: littlelugs on August 30, 2012, 11:32:04 am
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can any one advise on the best method for weed control on our yard? the yard and driveway are gravelled and have grass and weeds growing all over it. I have tried pulling it out as it comes up but its just not do-able. a farmer i was talking too recommended touchdown (spray weedkiller) but im not sure we have dogs and cats and i dont want them to get poisioned etc ( i am not against weedkillers) however if there is a garunteed enviromentally/animal friendly way of getting rid of these weeds quickly i would love to hear of it.
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A flame gun? A hoe?
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Roundup? Think it's safe for pets as soon as its dry, but best double check.
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roundup is safe an hour after application and is fairly effective!!!
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Roundup. relatively safe for pets (as mentioned previously) and kills pretty much everything green & growing, including the roots - only downside is (in my limited experience) is that things take a little while to show effect so you have to be patient to see if you've applied enough.
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Yes - need to give it a couple of weeks then respray anything that's left over....
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Snag is it really needs to be done in the growing season so it's getting a bit late. I think sodium chlorate has been banned now. That really does kill.
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sodium chlorate ah the memories of childhood bombs it kills the grass and weeds and afterwads is a fire hazard in hot weather :farmer:
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Hot weather, hmmm I know I've heard that phrase before. :thinking: not this year though!
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thanks for the replies, as for hot weather in wales hmmmnn... what is that exactly :raining:
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We had a path laid in the garden with that useless weed control matting under it which the gravel just punches through. The other path which I laid myself has a doubled up sheet of damp proof membrane under it and no weeds in nearly 10 years. I would suggest the only permanent cure is to rake off all the gravel and put down some suitable matting underneath.
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I think we need to do something like that for the chicken electric fence so stop it shorting out whenever the grass grows more than a couple of inches high
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We use DPC under our chicken fence. 6" wide is good. It's very rigid and doesn't rip. We stick the posts right through it. Works a treat and pretty cheap at your local builders merchant.
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That is brilliant.
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Old lino/pvc flooring works well too, AND its free
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What's DPC? I googled it and it came up as Damp proofing Cream, Is that the stuff?
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Damp proof course.... :)
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I like Stereo's dpc under the fencing idea, must remember that one, as when I strim each year it makes holes in the chicken wire.
We used to use sodium chlorate when it was allowed and then on to Roundup - but to be honest I think the best method is just to do as someone has already said - a flame gun - you can buy big ones you attached to a large gas can on a wheely thing or you can get aerosol size ones - does it quickly - maybe Roundup after that to keep the newbies from coming through for a while.
Trouble is with gravel the weed seeds make a nice wee bed in between the gravely stones so a dpc underneath gravel has limited use, they have to be killed from the top side too and in rainy summers like this one, it's hard to find enough consecutive dry time to let the Roundup have time to burn in.
Tarmac, there's your answer ;D
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We use wool backed carpet which is free from our local carpet shop, its the old carpets that are removed from houses and it makes great paths, event the cows took to standing on it in front of the gate and it really helped to control the mud around the gates as well as stopped weed's and it totally free!